Make Damn Sure
by Ms Quinn Fabray
Summary: Sequel to "Stupid In Love" Puck makes a play for Rachel's heart after her break up with Finn. I do not own Glee, any of the characters, or Taking Back Sunday's "Make Damn Sure"


**Make Damn Sure**

_You are everything I want  
'Cause you are everything I'm not  
_

I watch Rachel walk out, after singing this really depressing song and then dumping Finn's dumb ass. Apparently he was cheating with Quinn. 'Big surprise.' I think. He couldn't stay away from that girl if he tried, despite the fact that he was with Rachel, and Quinn with Sam. I think back to earlier that week, when Rachel had caught Finn in a lie about where he had been one night. The idiot hadn't even bothered to tell me that he had told Rachel he was with me that night. So when she confronted me, I had to tell her the truth, that he had not in fact been with me. It's not my fault he's stupid.

I wonder if this means I could have a chance with her. Since Quinn and I broke up in the middle of the summer after Beth was born, I had started noticing Rachel again. The girl was hot, even if she was inhibited, for lack of a better term. I knew if I could just have a chance, just a shot in Hell; I could get her to break down those walls. I hadn't succeeded before, but that's because she was in love with Finn back then. This time would be different. She had seen Finn for what he really was, and so there would be nothing holding her back now.

_I just wanna break you down so badly  
In the worst way_

I get my chance to talk to her the next day in English class. I made damn sure to show up, knowing Finn wasn't in the class and we'd have a chance to talk. "Hey Berry." I say. "How ya doin'?" "I've been better." She admits. "He's an idiot, you know." "Excuse me?" "Finn. He's dumb. If I had a girl like you, I'd never cheat." Rachel gives me a look like I'm feeding her the biggest line of bullshit she has ever heard. "Hey! I'm a lot of things, but a cheater is not one of them. Ask Quinn. I was totally faithful to her." "And sexting Santana doesn't count as cheating in your book?" She asks, shaking her head. "Doesn't count. Quinn and I weren't together then. She was still with Finn, in case you've forgotten." God, I love the look on her face when I prove her wrong. "Listen Berry. Let me take you out tonight." She does a double take. "What did you just say?" "Don't give me that bullshit. I know you heard me. Let's go out tonight." "You're crazy, Puckerman. Finn's your best friend." "So? He fucked up; you kicked him to the curb. Now he has no say in who you spend time with." She's giving me that look again, like I'm insane. But then something strange happens. She agrees. "Alright. We can hang out tonight. But we're not going out anywhere. You can come over and watch a movie if you'd like." Score. In a house alone with Rachel? Sounds like a win-win to me. "I guess that will have to do. I'll see you at eight. But Berry?" "Yes, Noah?" "I get to pick the movie."

_A long night spent with your most obvious weakness  
You start shaking at the thought_

Now that she's actually said yes, I'm kinda nervous. That's not like me at all. I'm Puckzilla, no woman can resist me. Except Berry has. We dated for like two weeks last year and she wouldn't even let me get to second base. No girl I've ever tried to sleep with has ever said no. I guess I have a sort of power over women. That's probably why Rachel stood out so much, why she stuck in my mind even though it had been well over a year since we broke up. I change my shirt about five times, before eventually deciding on the shirt I started out with. What is this weak shit, Puckerman? Since when do you care about your clothes? What is it about this girl?

At 8 o clock on the dot, I ring the Rachel's doorbell. She answers the door, wearing a pair of pink yoga pants that cling to her thighs just perfectly, and an over-sized Broadway sweatshirt. She looks so relaxed, and yet so sexy. Not many girls can pull off the just rolled out of bed look, but on Berry, it was kinda hot. "Hello, Noah. Come in." she smiles, and opens the door more so I can come in. "What movie did you choose?" She asks. "Uh, right. I brought over Sweeney Todd. Apparently he's like a serial killer, which is totally bad-ass. And it's a musical, so I knew you'd like it." Rachel smiles. "It's one of my favorites." I sit down on the couch. "Would you like something to drink?" "Got any beer?" I ask. "My dads don't keep alcohol in the house." Rachel says, quickly. "Chill, Berry. I'm joking. I'll take a soda if you've got one." Rachel seems relieved. "Coming right up." She returns a moment later with a can of Coke for me, and a bottle of Dasani for her. They sit on the couch, on opposite ends. I want to slide closer and put my arms around her, but I let things be.

Two hours the movie is over, and I'm yawning. "Why am I so tired?" I say, with another yawn. "It's been a long week." She says. "Hey, Noah? If I ask you to do something, do you promise not to take it the wrong way?" What the Hell does that mean? "Uhh…sure?" I say, confused as all hell. "Would you stay with me tonight? My dads are away for the weekend at a conference, and it gets so creepy here at night." She wants me to sleep over? Seriously? A million thoughts run through my mind, from innocent to completely X-rated. "Yea, I guess I can do that. Wanna make me a bed on the couch or something?" "Uhm, no. That's ok. You can stay in my room with me." She says. "But make no mistake, Noah. If you try anything I will hit you." I put up two fingers. "Scout's Honor." I was never a Boy Scout. I don't even know if I used that correctly. But Berry seems to buy it. "Alright." She says. "Let me get you a pair of pajama pants to wear."

_And we lay, we lay together just not Too close_

_How close is close enough?_

She brings me some clothes to change into, and I head to her bathroom to put them on. I can't believe I'm actually going to sleep here, in Rachel's bed nonetheless. I don't want to seem like I'm taking too long, so I go back out into her room. She's already lying on her bed, so I lay next to her, keeping a safe distance between us. "Noah?" she says into the darkness. "Sup Berry?" "Thank you."

_You hollow out my hungry eyes_

I don't know how it happens, but when I wake up my arms are around her. She stirs, and realizes where she is. But something amazing happens. She doesn't try to move out from my arms. She just lies there, letting me hold her. After about 15 minutes of this, she turns to face me. She presses her forehead to mine, and before I know what I'm doing, I'm kissing her. And she's kissing back. It's almost as if the past year never happened and we're right back where we started from. I pull back before I get too wrapped up in it, before I can't stop myself anymore. "What are we doing?" "Noah, I thought this is what you wanted. Don't you like kissing me?" Is she insane? "Of course I do. I just don't want to do anything you might regret." "Nothing is happening Noah. There's no harm in kissing me." "Rachel, if I'm going to be kissing you I want it to mean something. I don't want you to be doing this to stick it to Finn." Rachel shakes her head. "I would never do that Noah. To you or Finn. I like you. I think I have for awhile." "Don't say these things unless you're serious, Rach. I want to be with you. For real this time. No Quinn, no Finn. Just you and me." She smiles and nods. "I want that too." She plants the softest, sweetest kiss on my lips, and we both fall back asleep.

__

I'm gonna make damn sure that you can't ever leave  
No, you won't ever get too far from me  
You won't ever get too far from me

When we walk through the doors on Monday morning hand in hand, I feel everyone's eyes glued to us. Most notably Finn's and Quinn's. But we don't care. For once it's not about them. It's about us, and our feelings for each other, which we are finally giving ourselves permission to explore. We were two Hot Jews, and we were gonna rock McKinley. Now that I had Rachel, I knew I would never let her go._  
_


End file.
